The Icon of Sin
by Janus3003
Summary: The Marine has reached the source of Hell's invasion. Before he can accomplish his mission, however, Hell's final guardian has a few words for him.


**DOOM is the property of id Software. The Icon of Sin's speech was largely inspired by the Samsara mod.**

The Marine retched and vomited the few contents of his stomach onto the cold stone floor. He had grown accustomed to the smells of blood and sulfur so prevalent in the bowels of Hell, yet it was nothing compared to the rotting stench of this small chamber. He was surrounded by human corpses, all slaughtered in grisly manners. Some had been skinned alive. Others had been broken to form grotesque and blasphemous shapes. One unfortunate individual had been strangled by his own intestines.

His entire body ached. It wasn't enough to keep him from functioning, but it was difficult to ignore. Long healed wounds hurt once more, and the pain of his current injuries intensified. The Marine's vision became cloudy, and he found it increasingly difficult to think straight. This was the strongest Hell's influence had ever afflicted him.

Then came a voice.

"_You,"_ it said. It was a deep, booming voice, and it made the Marine's hairs stand on end. Fear threatened to cloud his mind while infernal ice squeezed his heart.

"In all the eons since Creation," the voice continued, "I have never known one such as you. What name, I wonder, do your people call you?"

The Marine shook his head and shouldered his shotgun. He crept toward the lone teleportation pad in front of him, his finger resting on the trigger. If Hell had taught him anything, it was that every being was hostile.

"I have many names, you see."

The Marine stepped onto the teleporter. As usual, there was a flash of green light.

"They've been given to me throughout all the ages of this world and countless others."

The green light dissipated, and the Marine found himself in an immense, dark cavern. He was at the bottom of a triangular staircase, several hundred feet wide. In front of him was a lake of noxious green acid that disappeared into the shadows. Behind him, the stairs led to a small chamber that emitted a blood red light.

"I have been called _Hellmouth."_

Flames burst all over the stairs, giving birth to Hell's ravenous denizens. The Marine opened fire and began the steep climb up the stairs.

"_Demon-spitter."_

Every imp the Marine put down was replaced by a hellknight. As soon as he killed a cacodemon, he found himself evading a skeletal revenant's rockets.

"_Gatekeeper."_

The Marine continued up the stairs, firing at anything that got in his way. The hellish fog thickened in his mind, and he found it increasingly difficult to see. His heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest.

"_Baphomet."_

He nearly tripped over a plasma rifle on the floor. Slinging his shotgun over his shoulder, he pointed the rifle at the demonic crowd and squeezed the trigger.

"_The Icon of Sin."_

The plasma rifle's battery was already depleted. As always, Hell had dared the Marine to hope.

"All of these titles are pleasing unto me."

The Marine ejected the depleted battery and rushed up the stairs. Grasping at his ammunition harness, he found another battery. His only one.

"However, they all fall short of my majesty."

Blue spheres of plasma burned their way through the hellspawn impeding the Marine's progress. He finally reached the topmost chamber, unleashing another volley of plasma into his pursuers. His mind was now almost overcome with Hell's atmosphere, and his eyes burned.

"In the end, there is only one name that perfectly describes me."

The chamber's walls were made of bloody flesh intermixed with bare wires. Its only light source was a glowing crimson pentagram drawn on the ceiling. Before the Marine was a bleached skull just bigger than he, a large upturned switch fixed between its eye sockets.

"DOOM."

Sparks flew as the Marine pulled the switch down, and he turned back to face his enemies. The far wall of cavern was now lit, revealing falls of blood and acid and walls of flesh and wire, which flanked the most horrific visage the Marine had ever encountered.

Set in the far wall's center was a rotting goat skull. It stood at least three stories tall, and its long arms stretched at least as long. Blood streaked from great throbbing veins, down its ancient bone and decayed flesh. It had a massive, fiery hole in its forehead. From this hole the hellion expelled giant black cubes, which landed in flame and produced another raging demon.

The creature's cold, unblinking eyes met the Marine's. The cavern shook as it shouted its infernal challenge:

"_Oremor nhoj ,em llik tsum uoy ,emag eht niw ot!"_

The fog dissipated from the Marine's mind, and his heart rate returned to normal. He grinned as a new crowd of demons rushed to slay him, their creator watching from behind.

Roaring and firing into the pack, the Marine rushed to meet them.


End file.
